Jacinda Ardern and Scott Morrison to build bridges over China

China will loom large during talks between Scott Morrison and ­Jacinda Ardern when the leaders meet in Queenstown on Sunday.

New Zealand Prime Minister ­Jacinda Ardern. Picture: Getty Images

China will loom large during talks between Scott Morrison and ­Jacinda Ardern when the leaders meet in Queenstown on Sunday.

The pair are keen to push past recent divisions over the Asian superpower during Mr Morrison’s two-day trip to New Zealand, with Ms Ardern recently delivering a speech criticising Beijing’s human rights record.

But differences remain, with New Zealand still keen to stand apart from Australia and other Five Eyes countries in its messaging on China.

Mr Morrison is also prepared to absorb Ms Ardern’s now-routine criticism of Australia for ­deporting Kiwi-born criminals, described by Peter Dutton as “taking the trash out”.

“It plays well for her, and frankly it plays well for us,” one senior government source said.

Robert Ayson, a professor of strategic studies at Victoria University of Wellington, said it was “very clear there are differences” between the prime ministers on key issues.

“Neither prime minister needs to say anything for people to know that is the case,” he said. “Their role now is to find a form of words to allow for those differences to be there but not allow them to get in the way of the fact that this is a very strong and close relationship with lots of common views on similar issues.”

Trans-Tasman relations crashed earlier this year when New Zealand Trade Minister Damien O’Connor declared Australia should “show respect” and be more “cautious with wording” towards China.

He later admitted the comments were “unhelpful”, but the rift widened when New Zealand declared its reluctance to join in statements by Five Eyes nations criticising China. Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta said other multilateral avenues might be a better to make such statements, rather than expanding the Five Eyes’ remit.

However, Australian officials’ fears that New Zealand was “wobbly” on China were eased by Ms Ardern’s speech earlier this month about the difficulties posed by China’s profoundly different history, worldview and political and legal system.

“We need to acknowledge that there are some things on which China and New Zealand do not, cannot, and will not agree,” Ms Ardern said. “This need not derail our relationship, it is simply a ­reality.”

Senior Australian government sources said the speech represented a welcome repositioning of New Zealand’s stance on China.

“The Five Eyes stuff was a little unsettling. But Ardern made it clear we are not fundamentally moving in different directions,” one source said.

Australian Institute of International Affairs president Allan Gyngell said the deportation issue was a long-running irritant in the relationship, but the countries were far apart in their positions on China.

He said both leaders would make an effort to present a united front.

“There’s never going to be a love fest between the two leaders,” Professor Gyngell said.

“They are very different people with different political views and personalities, but they each understand the importance of the relationship and will try to manage it carefully.”